St. James’s Gate (Diageo) Guinness Irish Wheat Hefeweizen at 5.3% ABV (C$3.65 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, best before 20-Mar-2018, acquired 13-Jul-2018, reviewed 3-Aug-2018)
Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of creamy white head, good retention and heavy soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: banana, clove, wheat, light citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter lightly spicy finish. (3/5)
Somewhat surprisingly, a decent implementation of the style. The appearance isn’t perfect, but it’s darned close, and although the aroma is mild, it’s in-spec with banana, clove, and wheat, with the citrus coming through only faintly and retronasally. The flavour is OK as well, with just a hint of peppery spice. That carries through to the finish, which is a touch too sweet for my preference, but otherwise serviceable. Not the most exciting, but I didn’t have great expectations, so I wasn’t disappointed. Slàinte! (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
